JONESBORO, Ark. (7/29/26) – The Arkansas State Athletics Department announced Wednesday that men's golf head coach Mike Hagen has signed a new agreement that extends his contract to June 30, 2031.

"Mike Hagen has elevated Arkansas State men's golf to unprecedented heights and established our program as one of the premier programs in the Sun Belt Conference and among the best in the nation," said A-State Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Chris Pezman. "Since arriving in Jonesboro, Mike has led the Red Wolves to multiple Sun Belt Conference championships, NCAA Regional appearances and the program's first-ever NCAA Championship berth, while consistently competing at a national level.

"He has earned multiple Sun Belt Coach of the Year honors, developed conference award winners and All-Sun Belt performers, and helped guide student-athletes to success both on the course and in the classroom. His leadership, commitment to excellence and ability to recruit and develop outstanding young men has transformed our men's golf program. We are excited to extend Mike's contract and look forward to building on the remarkable success he has achieved at Arkansas State."

Under Hagen's guidance, A-State has three conference titles (2018-19, 2023-24, 2025-26), made four appearances at the NCAA Regionals as a team (2019, 2021, 2024, 2026) and secured the first NCAA Championships appearance in 2026. A three-time Sun Belt Coach of the Year recipient, Hagen has coached Julien Sale (2020-21) and Thomas Schmidt (2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26) to SBC Golfer of the Year accolades. Three players, Zan Luka Stirn (2016-17), Luka Naglic (2018-19) and Jake Wallis (2024-25), have been named the league's Freshman of the Year in Hagen's tenure, and Stirn was also the Newcomer of the Year.

"I'm incredibly grateful to our administration for believing in the vision we've built here at Arkansas State," said Hagen. "This contract is a reflection of the hard work and commitment of our athletes, alumni, donors and everyone who has supported this program. Setting new standards and rewriting the record book is something we're proud of, but we're not satisfied. Our goal is to keep raising the bar, compete for championships every year, and represent Arkansas State with excellence on and off the course. The best golf for this program is still ahead of us."

In the final national rankings each of Hagen's 11 seasons, A-State has ranked inside the top 100 and among the top five in the league. The Red Wolves have been a top four seed in the Sun Belt Conference Championships for 10 consecutive seasons with no championship contested during the 2019-20 campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hagen's teams have rewritten the program record book over his 11 seasons, including the program record low round, 36-hole and 54-hole totals. All 11 seasons comprise the top 10 single-season stroke averages for a team, including a record 281.58 average during the 2025-26 campaign. A-State has claimed an event title each of Hagen's 11 seasons, including multiple titles in six seasons, for a total of 31 since the 2015-16 season.

A defining chapter in program history was written in 2026 as Hagen guided the Red Wolves to their first NCAA Championships appearance. The 2026 Sun Belt Conference Champions turned in a program record low 18-hole (-14), 36-hole (-21) and 54-hole (-24) totals in a regional to punch their ticket to the NCAA Championships. Individually, Jake Lile turned in a program-record low NCAA Regional round of 8-under par 64, Cole Kirby had a 7-under par 65 and Jake Wallis had a 6-under par 66 to rewrite the regional record book for A-State players. NCAA success for the program began under Hagen's leadership as Zan Luka Stirn's third-place individual finish - the highest in school history - occurred at the Noblesville Regional in 2021.

Player development has been a hallmark of Hagen's leadership. Stirn and Tanner Napier became the program's third and fourth all-time individual NCAA Regional qualifiers in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Julien Sale added a 25th-place finish at the 2019 NCAA Louisville Regional, the program's first top-25 regional individual finish. Schmidt and Maxey were individual qualifiers in 2025, and the 2026 appearance accounted for the eighth time in the last nine seasons that the Red Wolves had team or individual representation. Kirby, a junior entering the 2026-27 season, has qualified for the 126th U.S. Amateur August 10-16 at historic Merion Golf Club.

Inducted into the NJCAA Golf Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) Hall of Fame in 2019, Hagen arrived at A-State after 10 seasons at Indian Hills Community College leading the Warriors to four NJCAA National Championships over a five-year span. Hagen received the NJCAA Coaches Legacy Award in 2025, recognizing the all-time winningest coaches in NJCAA history. Hagen has also coached on the international stage, helping with collegiate Team USA in 2008 in South Africa and 2012 in the Czech Republic. He has also spent time as a member of the GCAA Poll, NJCAA All-American Selection Committee, Jack Nicholas Award Selection Committee, Phil Mickelson Award Selection Committee and Jimmy Russell Award Selection Committee.